Salary Range: $74,618-$107,264/year. The starting salary for this position would be determined with consideration of the successful candidate’s relevant education and experience, and would be in alignment with the provincial compensation reference plan. Salary will be prorated accordingly for part time roles.

 

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated Research Associate to join a translational immunology and cell therapy research program focused on innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and natural killer (NK) cell biology. The program integrates human immunology, single-cell genomics, and immune cell engineering to understand and manipulate lymphocyte function across transplantation, autoimmunity and cancer.

 

This position offers an opportunity to contribute to the development of next-generation engineered immune cell therapies, including regulatory and cytotoxic lymphocyte platforms. The successful candidate will play a key role in experimental design, immune cell engineering, data generation, protocol development, and grant and manuscript preparation, within a highly collaborative and clinically integrated research environment.

 

Key Responsibilities

• Design and perform experiments using primary human NK cells and innate lymphoid cell populations
• Engineer immune cells using genetic modification strategies (e.g., CAR constructs, signaling domain optimization)
• Culture, expand, and functionally characterize engineered immune cell products
• Monitor and control cell phenotype stability, cytokine profile, and functional potency during expansion and cryopreservation
• Perform high-parameter flow cytometry for immune phenotyping, functional assays, and cytotoxicity measurements
• Support in vivo studies using humanized and tumour-bearing mouse models
• Analyze and interpret data from functional assays, flow cytometry, and transcriptomic/scRNAseq datasets
• Contribute to development and maintenance of SOPs and process documentation aligned with preclinical and early translational requirements
• Participate in manuscript development, figure preparation, and grant writing
• Coordinate with collaborators and core facilities, including genomics, bioinformatics, and preclinical modeling teams
• Mentor trainees, including MSc and PhD students, on immune and cell engineering approaches.

 

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Immunology, Cell Biology, Bioengineering, or a related biomedical discipline
• Extensive experience with flow cytometry (experimental design, acquisition, and analysis)
• Demonstrated experience in immune cell genetic modulation/engineering(e.g., viral or non-viral gene delivery, CAR constructs)
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment

 

Preferred / Asset Qualifications

• Experience working with primary immune cell populations (e.g., ILCs, Tregs, NK cells, T cells, B cells, stem or progenitor-derived immune cells)
• Experience with single-cell RNA-seq and/or bulk RNA-seq experimental design or data interpretation
• Experience working with humanized mouse models or in vivo tumour models
• Experience with immunoregulatory pathways (e.g., IL-10, TGF-β, type-2 immunity, tissue repair programs)
• Exposure to GMP or GMP-like cell manufacturing, process development, or technology transfer
• Familiarity with cell therapy or preclinical development
• Experience contributing to manuscripts, grant applications or regulatory documentation
• Interest in immune cell regulation, immunosuppression, and therapeutic resistance mechanism

 

Research Environment and Career Development

This position is embedded within a well-funded, collaborative research environment at BC Cancer, with access to state-of-the-art core facilities including high-parameter flow cytometry, and advanced preclinical models. The Research Associate will contribute to high-impact publications, gain exposure to immune cell engineering and translational research, and participate in the development of next-generation NK cell and innate lymphoid cell therapies.

 

Application Instructions

Interested applicants should submit:

1. A cover letter describing relevant experience and research interests
2. A curriculum vitae
3. Contact information for 2–3 references

 

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.